.........or for what they don't?
2007-12-28 01:46:08 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think it depends on whether or not that belief motivates behavior that is worthy of being put down. For example, President Bush claims to believe that God talks to him and told him to invade Iraq. I think Bush's belief that God talks to him is worthy of criticism because it has led to actions with very negative consequences.
2007-12-28 03:35:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes, to put someone down period is wrong, unless they mean to harm others through their belief. However, that doesn't mean someone's belief is the right belief. Pluralism feeds into an idea that I have my beliefs and you can have yours and we'll both be okay. While on the surface this seems to be a respectful stance, your basically saying that your okay with believing something that is not true, or with leaving the other person believing a lie. To express the truth in love and respect for the other person is the best way to go!
2007-12-28 01:54:27 · answer #2 · answered by Shamgaur 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depends on what you mean by "put down".
There are some that think any criticism of their religion, at all, is a personal affront. And there is the other extreme of hating a person just because he subscribes to one religion or another.
Personally, I think that religion is really a small part of who a person is. The most zealous fanatic and the most ardent atheist still have more beliefs in common than not. Therefore, I tend to give people their due respect, no matter which superstitions they buy into.
However, beliefs are fair game. If you claim something is true, I have a right to hold a differing opinion and express that opinion. Don't be offended if I don't hold as holy what you don't. If your belief can't stand up to public scrutiny, then it isn't much of a belief.
2007-12-28 01:48:30 · answer #3 · answered by nondescript 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is not wrong for you to have your opinion about someone else's beliefs. I believe it is wrong however to put down someone because you don't understand why they're different from you. It shouldn't matter to anyone what anyone else believes as long they are a decent person....Am I right?
2007-12-28 01:51:28 · answer #4 · answered by Dr. Metal PHD 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Human beings rely on our peers for feedback on our social behaviors, our appearance, and our own self-image.
"Putting someone down" amounts to delivering the unhappy news that their beliefs are inconsistent with your own. This is part of the normal give and take of life in a free civilization. How are people expected to discover that their beliefs are founded on empty superstition, if no one is permitted to tell them?
The whole point of living in a civilization that practices free speech is that each person must be subjected to feedback from their peers and then re-evaluate their own philosophical positions. While we are always free to reject opinions we disagree with, no one ever has the right to prevent another person from expressing his own opinion. This means it will always be the burden of those who hold any particular beliefs to listen to the opinions of those who disagree. This is perfectly consistent with the well-established rules of logic. The days when religious opinion was considered both personal and private are over -- destroyed by fundamentalist Christians who deliberately attempted to manipulate America's secular laws to engineer our civilization to their liking.
Having said that, we atheists do bear a moral responsibility to be as civilized as possible, while patiently explaining that religious belief is exactly equivalent to unverifiable superstition, and should never be used as the foundation of the ethnically and socially diverse civilization we must all live within. The reality of human diversity is such that each of us is absolutely entitled to our own beliefs, however irrational they may appear to others. However, this does not mean we are ever excused from our continuing moral responsibility to consider the opinions of those who legitimately disagree with us.
2007-12-28 02:38:10 · answer #5 · answered by Diogenes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is. We should never make fun or put down anyone for what they believe. It is theire right to be able to have ther own thoughts and feeling .They may not always be right in our eyes, but we have idea what actions have taken place to make them believe the way that they do.
2007-12-28 01:51:42 · answer #6 · answered by izor 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you really think someone's believing in something crazy, why not dialogue with them about it - try to find out where they're coming from. In matters of religion that can be tricky because they may have the indoctrination of a church behind them, but it doesn't hurt to try.
2007-12-28 01:52:54 · answer #7 · answered by Kevin S 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends what they believe. If they think it is ok to go out and shoot people or make fun of gays, of course I do not think that is right and would tell them that their action is wrong. If it is because of they being a different religon than I am, I will not put them down. If they ask about my beliefs and mine happen to be different from theirs, I will tell them that I believe their beliefs are wrong (only if they ask) but I will still love them regardless because I am their sister in Christ. God loves us all.
2007-12-28 01:49:55 · answer #8 · answered by Yuri ^_^ 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes, but you cant just let them believe what they want you have to have debates wwith them on there beliefs. That way you can both better yourselves by knowing more information. Don't just hate becuase of what someone believes and disbelieves.
2007-12-28 01:49:44 · answer #9 · answered by buckeyes24a7 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. But if what they believe has no factual and historical data and their belief system is based off of fallacy then one has to be very skillful and diplomatic in sharing their information. If they person does not want to hear it then one should not share it. If someone is not willing to hear then you would be wasting precious time and energy trying to get them to hear you out.
2007-12-28 01:52:04 · answer #10 · answered by inalignmentwithlife 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋